Mix Tape of the Day: February 15, 2015 - The Best of the Killers

For a band with such a harsh name, the Killers are actually very nice people.  They write very nice songs.  And they put on amazing live shows.  They should change their name to the Helpers or the Healers.  You know, something nice.

1. Mr. Brightside - The Killers (2003) Ah, this might just be my favorite Killers song.  For a period of time, it used to be one of my top 10 songs of all time, but jealousy can be unhealthy, so I've since replaced it.  But back in 2007, it was all I listened to.

2. Somebody Told Me - The Killers (2004) I remember being on a date back in 2005 and this song came on the radio and we tried to analyze what the lyrics meant.  So I'll forever associate this song with that night.

3. All These Things That I Have Done - The Killers (2004) I've got soul but I'm not a soldier.  Doesn't make too much sense, but it sounds cool.

4. Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers (2004) Thanks to The O.C. for introducing me to this one!

5. When You Were Young - The Killers (2006) When Sam's Town came out, it was right in the height of my love for the Killers.  I was glad that they still had "it."

6. Bones - The Killers (2006) My passion for the Killers had kind of died out after Sam's Town so it wasn't until I saw them at the 2012 Firefly festival that I became aware of many of their best works.  I missed "Bones" the first time around and, even though the band doesn't think to highly of it, it's pretty great.  (Way better than "Flesh and Bone," at any rate.)

7. Read My Mind - The Killers (2006) This was probably my last Killers song for a while.  I'm not sure why I stopped seeking them out.  Maybe I thought no young band could possible produce more than half a dozen hits.

8. Human - The Killers (2008) Apparently, my dancer roommate in college hated this song because it implied that dancers were subhuman.  Um, I think it is implying that they are better than human.

9. Spaceman - The Killers (2008) As David Bowie has proven, you can't go wrong with a song called "Spaceman."

10. Runaways - The Killers (2012) This song was performed during the Firefly festival, and at first I was like, "No new stuff! Only the classics!" but I warmed up to it by the end.

11. Shot at the Night - The Killers (2013) It's a gamble putting new work on a "Greatest Hits" album.  It's could stick out like a sore thumb or it can actually succeed.  "Shot at the Night" definitely succeeds.

12. Just Another Girl - The Killers (2013) Man, the Killers didn't just make one new "best song," they made two!  A risky move, but it paid off well.  I consider these two as classic as the rest. Also, this video has an air of finality to it, as it revisits classic videos from the band's past.  It's just perfect.

13. Miss Atomic Bomb - The Killers (2012) I decided to end with the "epic conclusion to 'Mr. Brightside'" because it creates a nice bookend for the mix.  It shows how much the Killers have grown as a band and how much we've all matured.